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Culture · Scottish Highlands

Edinburgh & Scottish Highlands: 6 Days

The Balmoral, Inverlochy Castle and a private chauffeur through Glencoe, with a private Old Town walk and a First Class table on the Jacobite steam train as optional add-ons.

  • 6 days / 5 nights
  • Starts in Edinburgh (EDI)
  • No car needed
A steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the Scottish Highlands

Attractions

What you will see as you travel the route, day by day, and how to make the most of each stop.

6sights on the route
2nights at The Balmoral
3nights at Inverlochy Castle
1chauffeured Highlands day
EdinburghLoch LomondGlencoeFort WilliamGlasgow
1Day 1

Arrive in Edinburgh

A first walk

Princes Street Gardens

On your own

Why it is worth itGardens in the valley below Edinburgh Castle, right by your hotel.

Insider tipLook up at the castle on its rock from the gardens; it is the classic view.

2Day 2

Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town

The Royal Mile

Why it is worth itThe Old Town’s main street, running from the castle down toward Holyrood, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Insider tipLook for the closes, the narrow lanes off the Royal Mile.

Edinburgh Castle

Why it is worth itThe castle on its volcanic rock above the city, home to the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels.

Insider tipLook for the One O’Clock Gun, fired every day except Sundays.

Optional add-on

Private Old Town Walk with a Local Guide

A private 3-hour walk through the Old Town and the Royal Mile with a local guide, ending at Edinburgh Castle. Your castle tickets are already in the trip price.

$385 per booking

Optional. Not included in the trip price.

3Day 3

Chauffeured through Glencoe to the castle

Chauffeured through Glencoe

Loch Lomond

Why it is worth itThe largest loch in Britain by surface area, on the edge of the Highlands.

Insider tipAsk your driver to stop at a lochside viewpoint.

Glencoe

Why it is worth itA dramatic glen of steep mountains, often called one of the most beautiful places in Scotland.

Insider tipStop at a viewpoint and step out; the scale is hard to take in from the car.

Inverlochy Castle Hotel

Why it is worth itA 19th-century castle hotel near Fort William, below Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain.

Insider tipWalk the grounds before dinner.

4Day 4

A Highlands day, or the Jacobite

Optional add-on

Jacobite Steam Train, First Class Table for Two

The round trip from Fort William to Mallaig over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, at your own private First Class table for two.

$545 per booking

Optional. Not included in the trip price.

The order of stops can shift with the weather, and access to some sites can change with the season or local conditions. See Day by day for the full plan.

Why this trip

Scotland is made for two. You start in Edinburgh at The Balmoral, right on Princes Street under the castle, with Edinburgh Castle tickets booked and a private Old Town walk if you want one (optional add-on). Then a private chauffeur drives you west through Glencoe to Inverlochy Castle, a real Victorian castle hotel below Ben Nevis, where dinner is the main event. If you like, add the Jacobite steam train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct at your own First Class table for two (optional add-on). No driving on the left, no parking, nothing to figure out.

  • Edinburgh Castle and the Old TownWalk the Royal Mile and the Old Town at your own pace and visit Edinburgh Castle (tickets booked). Or add a private 3-hour Old Town walk with a local guide that ends at the castle (optional add-on).
  • Chauffeured through Glencoe to the castleYour private chauffeur collects you after breakfast and drives you north and west, past Loch Lomond and Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, with photo stops wherever you like.
  • A Highlands day, or the JacobiteA slow day at the castle and around Fort William. Or board the Jacobite steam train in Fort William for the round trip to Mallaig, over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, at your own private First Class table for two (optional add-on).
  • A free day in the HighlandsNothing booked on purpose. Walk the castle grounds, take the Nevis Range gondola, or book a spa treatment or a falconry session at the hotel (optional).

Trip at a glance

Length
6 days / 5 nights
Starts / ends
Starts at Edinburgh Airport (EDI), ends at Glasgow Airport (GLA)
Getting around
No car needed; private drivers and a chauffeured Highlands day
Pace
Two hotels, one castle day, one chauffeured Highlands day, two free days, with a guided walk and the Jacobite as optional add-ons
Best time to go
May to September
Great for
Honeymoons and milestones
Accommodations
Superior
Flights
Not included. You book; timing tips in your pre-trip guide

Day by day

Day 1 and day 6 are travel days. The order of the days in between is flexible and can shift with the weather.

Day 1Arrive in Edinburgh
Land at Edinburgh (EDI). Your private driver meets you in arrivals and takes you to The Balmoral (about 30 minutes). Settle in, then a first walk along Princes Street Gardens.
Stay: The Balmoral, Edinburgh (night 1 of 2).
Day 2Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town
Walk the Royal Mile and the Old Town at your own pace and visit Edinburgh Castle (tickets booked). Or add a private 3-hour Old Town walk with a local guide that ends at the castle (optional add-on). The evening is yours: a whisky bar, or dinner in the New Town.
Stay: The Balmoral, Edinburgh (night 2 of 2).
Day 3Chauffeured through Glencoe to the castle
Your private chauffeur collects you after breakfast and drives you north and west, past Loch Lomond and Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, with photo stops wherever you like. You arrive at Inverlochy Castle in the late afternoon.
Stay: Inverlochy Castle Hotel, Fort William (night 1 of 3).
Day 4A Highlands day, or the Jacobite
A slow day at the castle and around Fort William. Or board the Jacobite steam train in Fort William for the round trip to Mallaig, over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, at your own private First Class table for two (optional add-on). Back at the castle for dinner.
Stay: Inverlochy Castle Hotel (night 2 of 3).
Day 5A free day in the Highlands
Nothing booked on purpose. Walk the castle grounds, take the Nevis Range gondola, or book a spa treatment or a falconry session at the hotel (optional).
Stay: Inverlochy Castle Hotel (night 3 of 3).
Day 6To Glasgow and home
Your private driver takes you to Glasgow Airport (about 2.5 hours) for your flight home.

What’s included

Included

  • 5 hotel nights: 2 at The Balmoral in Edinburgh, 3 at Inverlochy Castle Hotel (breakfast included at Inverlochy)
  • A private driver from Edinburgh airport to your hotel
  • Edinburgh Castle tickets
  • A private chauffeur for the Edinburgh to Glencoe to Fort William day
  • A private driver from Fort William to Glasgow airport
  • A day-by-day plan, and one point of contact from booking to landing

Not included

  • International flights
  • Breakfast in Edinburgh, and lunches and dinners
  • Spa treatments, gondola and other optional extras
  • Tips for your drivers, and for a guide if you add one
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal spending

Optional add-ons: Private Old Town Walk with a Local Guide ($385 per booking), Jacobite Steam Train, First Class Table for Two ($545 per booking). Add them in the booking box or in Attractions.

Your hotels, experiences, transfers and guides are booked for you. Flights are up to you, and your pre-trip guide includes timing tips.

Questions

What if I need to cancel?
Plans change. If you need to cancel, you'll receive trip credit toward another itsTripEasy trip: within 24 hours of payment, 100% trip credit, so you can swap to a different destination; 90 or more days before your trip start date, 100% trip credit; less than 90 days before, no trip credit, unless you added Flexible Cancellation: with it, you get 100% trip credit if you cancel at least 10 days before your trip start date, for a trip you take within 12 months. Other trip credits never expire. To cancel or change your dates, use the cancellation request form. For a date change, choose the reason "I'd like to change my dates".
How many people can share a room?
Rooms on this trip hold 1 or 2 people, so the booking box offers own room or 2 sharing. A group of 3 is booked into 1 shared room and 1 own room; a group of 4 into 2 shared rooms, all on one booking. For a larger group, use Plan My Trip.
Do I need a car?
No. A private driver meets you at Edinburgh, a private chauffeur drives you through Glencoe to the Highlands, and another takes you to Glasgow airport at the end.
Are flights included?
Flights are up to you, and your pre-trip guide includes timing tips so your arrival and departure fit the plan.
Can the trip be customized?
Yes, right in the booking box: add up to 3 extra nights at the start or end of your trip and choose how many travelers share each room. You can also add optional extras like a Private Old Town Walk with a Local Guide or a first class table for two on the Jacobite Steam Train.

Good to know

  • Weather and nature. Weather, road and natural conditions are outside anyone’s control and can change quickly. They may change the plan, close roads, or delay, shorten or cancel tours and activities, and the order of days may shift.
  • Your choices. You are responsible for your own decisions, safety and choices while traveling, including which activities you take part in, and following local guidance, posted warnings and your guides’ instructions.
  • Photos. Photos on this page are for inspiration. They may not show the exact location, hotel, season or conditions of your trip.
  • Not included. Flights aren’t included; you book those yourself.
$23,698
2 travelers · 6 days / 5 nights
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